Establishing a dealership based on quality products is not something that happens overnight, it is a long-term proposition admits Neville Cooke, of Cooke Agri based in Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny.

Although Neville has been in business on his own account since 2010, it was only last year that he opened the new premises in a modern building, after fitting it out to suit the needs of a fully competent machinery retailer.

Taking Kuhn onboard

A year later, his firm gained the agency for Kuhn and to celebrate the landing of this premium franchise it will be holding an open day on January 11, from 2:00p.m onwards.

Neville cook agri Kuhn — All ready for the season. Neville intends having this baler out on demo in the spring

Kuhn, he believes, will put Cooke Agri firmly on the map as a significant dealer in the south midlands, and it is intended that other major brands will follow in time, although there will be no great rush.

Naturally, a tractor dealership will feature on the list, but as with all other investment decisions there is going to be much thought going into the choice, and it is unlikely to happen in the short term.

Applying the plastic

Meanwhile, he has committed himself to Kuhn and taken into stock a range of mainly grassland machinery for the coming season.

Most noticeable amongst the items in the yard is a Intelliwrap FBP 3135 baler wrapper which, he happily admits, is not going to be an easy sell against the major competition in Ireland.

Kuhn baler film wrap — Twin applicators at the front of the machine apply the binding film layer

That does not mean to say that it is not without several advantageous features which put it up there with all the other well-engineered machines.

The first major item he points to is the film binding system which utilises two standard 750mm rolls of film, rather than the heavier full width items used by other machines.

Kuhn claims a 37% saving on film binding costs and points out that only one size of roll needs to be purchased, and they are more easily changed.

Sophisticated wrapping

The baler also has a low centre of gravity due to an intermediate transfer mechanism and comes with twin axles for a more comfortable ride and lower ground pressure.

Final wrapping at the rear has what Kuhn calls a 3D system. This positions the wrap over the shoulder of the bale before finally enclosing both ends.

intermediate transfer bale — Stability and safe operation on slopes are paramount design objectives and the two-stage transfer system keeps the centre of gravity low while containing the bale while working up or down slopes

The whole process is controlled electronically, including the speed of the bale rotation, allowing finite adjustment from the cab via an ISOBUS screen.

Kuhn, Neville Cooke — Even though the Kuhn stock is still fresh from the factory, Neville Cooke says that it is already generating interest

The baler will be on static display at the open day and Neville intends to have it out on demonstration in the spring, unless it is sold beforehand.

Full range

A range of movers, tedders and rakes has also been taken into stock ready for the new season and with these it is the solidity of construction which attracts the attention, especially on the mowers.

mower urlingford cooke — Kuhn mowers appear to have the robustness necessary for an Irish first cut

Getting the stocking levels absolutely right for the first season is nearly impossible, so it was decided upon after some advice from Kuhn.

In the end it was a case of a little bit of everything for the area, which is an equal split between tillage and stock, although Neville has noticed a modest swing towards dairy over the last couple of years.

Eastern Loaders

Materials handling is an important part of farming and for this aspect of mechanisation Cooke Agri is selling the Haihong range of Chinese loaders.

Haihong loader — The Haihong CTX200 has an 80hp diesel with no adblue

There is no question that they are budget friendly, and inside they are certainly basic, but having sold a handful of them so far, Neville reports that they are also proving to be trouble free.

Haihong spartan — Few frills inside the cab, making it ideal for wet mucky yards

Those that he has sold have gone to suckler herds, not a farming enterprise that is usually associated with new machinery, yet their very simplicity lends them to being covered in muck, for inside is spartan and easily washed out.

Building a Business

Including Neville himself, there are now six staff at the Urlingford base. The business still has the repair and servicing of tractors at its core and this is now added to by sales and parts.

Cooke Agri Urlingford — Building up a parts stock and showroom is a challenging task, but worth the effort

Having served his apprenticeship with a Deutz Fahr dealer he still works on a lot of the tractors that would have been sold in the area.

There are few engines to beat a genuine Deutz diesel he believes, and where there have been problems reported it might be due to other manufacturers expecting too much of them.

Nathan Butler assembles a tedder ready for the open day

Neville also questions general assumption that a laptop is now needed to fix tractors, noting that there there are usually ways around problems if the fault code can retrieved. He is certainly not put off by the march of electronics.

Cooke Agri is a young business but it is starting to go places. The Kuhn agency is a feather in its cap which will be followed by others as it gradually builds both its range of products and its customer base.

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